Brazil vs US: What Loss Means for the United States

Going into Wednesday’s friendly at FedEx Field, the US men’s national team had lost nine straight matches to Brazil since their upset in the 1998 Gold Cup semifinals.

For much of recent history, Brazil has been the gold standard for execution and success, and the US has been just a mere footnote.

Coming off a five-game winning streak, including a rout over Scotland last weekend and a 1-0 win over the always stable Italy in February, American soccer fans were hoping this would be the game that would test the mettle of Team USA and propel them into the upper echelon of soccer’s best squads.

Ultimately, the up-and-coming US team faced some serious growing pains in a 4-1 beatdown by Brazil. If the team hopes to regain its swagger and seriously contend for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, they will have to progress rapidly and straighten out a suspect defense.

For most of the game, the US was outmatched by Brazil’s clever moves and offensive prowess. Neymar dribbled rings around the US defense, while Hulk, Thiago Silva, Marcelo and others were ruthless in their attacks.

A decent defensive team by many standards, the US proved to be too inconsistent without the ball, a possible bad harbinger as the team sits on the fringes of soccer’s elite.

There were a few unfortunate moments that really shifted the tide of the game in favor of Brazil.

Early in the match, Oguchi Onyewu was called for a handball when he was hit by Romulo’s shot. Neymar easily converted the penalty kick in the 12th minute to give Brazil the first score and suck the air out of FedEx Field.

For a team on the rise and struggling to keep up with mighty Brazil, this early goal was crucial in giving Brazil the momentum it needed to build on its early lead. Conversely, had the US drawn first blood, it could have rode the momentum and the home crowd towards a different result.

Needless to say, if the US is serious about competing with the world’s best, the defense will have to be much more stout, especially against set pieces.

Brazil demonstrated to the world it has the combination of smarts and offensive prowess to run up scores against deficient opponents. Wednesday night was no exception, as the US looked lost against different set pieces that opened up the field for longer Brazilian possessions and goals.

Physically outmatched, the US defense was exhausted to the point that only a few defenders could contribute offensively. Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Onyewu looked tired chasing around Neymar and company, and their exhaustion proved to be fatal in their inability to provide any offense for the US.

Despite all of the US drawbacks, there were some positive takeaways.

Michael Bradley looks much more comfortable than he did two years ago in the World Cup in South Africa. He demonstrated some tactical skill with a nice through pass to Fabian Johnson that resulted in the team’s lone goal from Herculez Gomez just before halftime.

The US also held a 15-12 shot advantage over Brazil. While many of the team’s shots were nicely calculated, Team USA proved again it was less efficient than its opponent. Simply, the personnel was not there for the US to the point that it could seriously compete with its adversary.

The loss had coach Jurgen Klinsmann and other players harping about the necessity for a mean streak for the US team. It seems as if a certain swagger, almost a killer instinct on the field, is the only remedy for the US moving forward.

It has been repeated that this US men’s national team seriously has the potential to contend for a World Cup, but their psychological outlook might be holding them back.

Moving forward the US must exert the attitude it had during its five-game winning streak and not fall prey to the hype that surrounds a team as dominant as Brazil.

The US can take solace knowing that this was only a friendly match. Regardless of how badly they got beaten, the game carries no direct World Cup implications.

However, given that this was just a friendly match, it is only a glimpse of how capable high-octane Brazil is.

The US will have a chance to get back to its winning ways in a friendly exhibition against Canada this Sunday in Toronto. Then, the US begins its World Cup qualifiers June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda.